As part of my preparation for becoming an Exegetical/Greek Consultant for Bible translators in New Tribes Mission, I’m completing a master’s degree with a concentration in New Testament. I started this journey in the summer of 2006 and will finally graduate this May, 2012! I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to take 6 years to finish, but that’s how it has played out for me amid fulltime ministry, poor health, and family.
As the climax of my degree, I have to write a thesis. That’s a fancy term for a big research paper that is scrutinized backwards and forwards by people smarter than me. I have to write and rewrite the paper until it meets their approval. That’s different for me; I’m used to doing stuff until I’m satisfied and then moving on to the next thing.
The point of this blog entry is that I’m nearing the end! This week I will work ’round the clock to finalize my rough draft. There will be a few other steps after this, but this is the most demanding by far. In the last 2 weeks I’ve been working at my computer more than ever before. Many of those days started at 5:30 in the morning and went late into the evening.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to wrapping this project up! I have, however, learned a ton in the process that will be very helpful in the coming years.
If you would like to read an overview of my thesis, here is a rough draft of chapter 1: Thesis Chapter 1
If you would like to learn more about the degree I’m working on, click here: Degree Info